Who we are
Below is a list of all CHIRP permanent staff.
Ken Fairbank
Chief Executive
Ken joined the RAF in 1979 and flew the Harrier and Hawk in operational and instructional roles. He has since flown a variety of commercial types, from regional turboprops to long-haul widebodies. He qualified as a training captain on Boeing and Airbus types and has held training management positions with two UK
airlines.
Ken has served on the secretariat of the UK Airprox Board and, in 2004, joined the Air Accidents Investigation Branch as an Inspector of Air Accidents. He left the AAIB in early 2017, having been responsible for investigating the operational aspects of numerous accidents and incidents involving many different types of aircraft. Ken returned to full-time line flying as a captain on the Boeing 757 until joining CHIRP as Chief Executive in March 2019.
Captain Jeffrey Parfitt FNI
Director (Maritime)
Jeff is a professional mariner with a career that spans four decades. In 1976, he commenced his seagoing career with Shell and served on tankers and general cargo ships until 1990 when he took a shore position as a government specialist investigator.
In 1996, he returned to the offshore world of dynamic positioning with Co-Flexip Stena and Subsea7, serving on dive/subsea construction vessels operating in the North Sea and on a global basis.
Most recently, Jeff has operated as a consultant to the offshore and global maritime insurance industry.
Jeff is a Fellow of the Nautical Institute and a Liveryman of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners. He has an informed passion for safety at sea, borne out of first-hand experience, and a continued drive for environmental protection
Terry Dudley
Deputy Director (Engineering)
For the last two years, Terry has held the position of Regional Maintenance Manager for Panasonic Europe, looking after 16 stations in Europe that supports all the major Airlines from around the globe. This not only involves working with many Airlines but also with different regulators, such as EASA, FAA, CAAS and CAANZ.
Previously to this, Terry worked with Virgin Atlantic for 8 years initially as Hangar Manger for both LHR and Gatwick Airport operations and then moving into Overseas Line maintenance and also outsourced maintenance as a manager. Prior to that he spent 18 years with British Midland at LHR as a Licensed engineer and also as Hangar and Line manager.
Stephanie Dykes
Cabin Crew Programme Manager & Company Secretary
Stephanie joined in May 2012 after working for an airline for the previous 8 years. She started her career in aviation in 2004 working for bmi British Midland International as a Customer Service Agent based at London Heathrow. After 3 years she moved to the Flight Training Department, based in the Stockley Park Training Centre working as the Flight Training Administrator organising the cabin crew and flight crew training.
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, her principal responsibilities are to ensure the smooth running and administration of the CHIRP Office along with the analysis and administration of the CHIRP Cabin Crew Reporting Programme. In October 2018, she was appointed Company Secretary of CHIRP.
Captain Ian Shields
Maritime Advisor
Captain Ian Shields joined Shell Tankers (UK) Ltd in 1974, progressing through the ranks to Chief Officer and gaining experience in Oil Tankers, LNG, Chemical Tankers and Bulk Carriers en route. Ian spent a three year period ashore as Operations Superintendent in the early 1990’s, this being particularly focussed on the Company’s VLCC fleet, thence returned to sea, and was promoted to Master in 1997.
Ian spent a five year period from 2004 Training and Auditing on all current HSSE Industry issues within the Shell Fleet before coming ashore in 2009. In 2010 he worked in Dubai alongside the Royal Navy, where he was the first Merchant Navy Liaison Officer to the UKMTO.
Ian held the role of Technical Security Advisor in OCIMF for two years from February 2011 and in June 2013 changed focus to the Nautical Advisor role within the OCIMF Secretariat. Ian works as an independent maritime consultant from January 2016.
Ian was awarded the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service in October 2018.
Captain Alan Loynd FNI FITA MCIArb BA(Hons)
Maritime Advisor (Hong Kong)
After serving with the RFA, Alan joined the Swire Group and sailed with China Navigation and Swire Pacific Offshore. He then joined HK Salvage & Towage, where he spent 20 years as mariner, salvor and manager before founding his own consultancy in 2007. He is a founder member of the International Tugmasters Association, and served as Chairman from 2012 to 2015.
Howard Nightingale
Maritime Advisor
A professional seafarer with a career spanning five decades starting in 1971 as a cadet with BP Tankers. After 10 years deep sea with that company I took a position ashore as a member of HM Coastguard before returning to sea in 1986.
I worked in the offshore sector on DP vessels, predominantly Diving Support and other DP Construction vessels working in the North Sea and further afield on a global basis. With over 30 years experience as a watch keeping Senior DP Operator extensive experience has been gained in many aspects of DP operations.
After my final seagoing appointment in 2017 I joined CHIRP in 2018 to make use of and share my accumulated experience in the ongoing drive to improve safety for seafarers.
Ranjith Cheerath
Maritime Advisor
Ranjith was employed for over six years as Managing Director of a ship management company in Singapore until he retired in September 2017.
He qualified as Master Mariner from India in 1981 and completed MSc (Maritime Education and Training – Nautical) from World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden in 1995.
After a seafaring career spanning fourteen years, since 1974, including more than six years as a ship captain on large tankers, Ranjith continued in the maritime profession ashore, since 1988, initially as a part of the shore management of a shipping company in Mumbai and later with a ship management company in Singapore. Ranjith has sailed as a cadet, deck officer and chief officer on general cargo ships, bulk carriers and oil tankers. He has worked ashore as a maritime trainer and course developer for over six years before moving to technical management, ship quality assurance and safety management with the shipping company and subsequently with the ship management company.